Sainsbury's
Taste the Difference Sparkling Rose NV, EnglandMade by Chapel
Down, this is really delicious. A very pale salmon pink colour, it's only
just a rose. The nose is super-sophisticated with tight herby, citrussy
notes as well as a hint of strawberry. The palate is dry and complex, with
a hint of fruity richness offsettin the high acidity really nicely.
There's none of the overt herbiness that is the besetting sin of so many
English wines, and all the flavours work in tandem to create a stylish
whole. Pretty serious effort - shame about the rather naff packaging.
90/100 (£17.99 Sainsbury's)

Matetic
EQ Syrah 2006 San Antonio, ChileIncredible stuff.
Very deep coloured. Intense, pure blackberry and blackcurrant nose
complemented by spicy, meaty, earthy notes, as well as a hint of olive and
tar. The palate is earthy and dense with plenty of structure, but also
lots of blackberry and plum fruit. There's lovely fresh acidity. Just a
tiny trace of that Chilean rubbery greenness, but overall this is a really
serious effort and I'll be buying some more with a view to seeing how it
ages over the medium term. 92/100 (£17 Oddbins)

Huber
Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Niederosterrich, AustriaWonderfully pure,
precise and aromatic, with lovely minerality and bright fruit, along with
some freshness from high carbon dioxide levels. The palate is pure with
rounded, fresh, almost transparent fruit, a hint of fruit sweetness, and
then beautifully focused minerality. It's a bright wine, but it's not at
all sharp or acidic. There's a lovely combination of ripe fruit and
minerality, but none of the grassiness that's a signature of this grape in
New Zealand. It reminds me a bit of Gruner Veltliner, with its textural
components and hints of spiciness. 91/100 (£12.99 Oddbins, UK agent
Thierrys)

Sottimano
Maté 2007 Vino Rosso da Tavola, Piedmont, ItalyFrom a 1.1 hectare
vineyard in Treiso, this is a varietal Brachetto fermented with indigenous
yeasts, and it's gorgeous. The nose is extravagantly aromatic with sweet
cherry, herb and plum notes that leap out of the glass. The palate is
light, fresh and subtly sappy with cherryish fruit together with some
earthy, herby notes keeping things savoury. Think grown-up Beaujolais on
steroids and you are pretty much there. Just perfect with antipasti, or
even for sipping on its own - and it won't object to being chilled lightly
before serving. There's a real elegance to this wine that I love. 91/100
(Available in the UK from http://www.lescaves.co.uk/)

Chapel
Down Pinot Reserve 2002 English Sparkling WineA blend of Pinot
Noir and Pinot Blanc. Aromatic nose is full with notes of ripe apples,
toast and subtle nutty and herby notes. This is pure and quite
sophisticated. The palate is citrussy and intense with good acidity and
lots of flavour. There's some Pinot richness here, but overall the
impression is one of focus and brightness. A serious effort with lovely
purity, and justifying the price-tag. 91/100 (£24.99, from the vineyard)

Pedro
Basta 2006 Alentejo, PortugalA
blend of Trincadeira, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon,
aged for 12 months in new and used French oak. Dark blackberry fruit on
the nose with overt roast coffee character, plus a bit of plummy
spiciniess. Quite savoury. The palate is dense with some firm, savoury,
spicy structure underneath the sweet blackberry and plum fruit. Quite well
structured with nice balance and focus. This is a warm climate wine with
nice definition. 90/100 (£10.50 The Wine Society)

Herdade de Malhadinha Nova 'Malhadinha' 2006 Alentejo, PortugalA blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Cabernet
Sauvignon, aged for 14 months in new French oak. Aromatically intense,
with beautifully forward lush, sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit.
Real purity here, as well as some warm spicy notes. The palate is ripe and
sweet with concentrated, lush, pure fruit that marries well with some
spicy oak notes. Despite the sweetness, there's lovely spicy definition
and good acidity. Delicious now, but with the potential to develop. 93/100
(c £20, UK agent Raymond Reynolds)

Guerrieri
Rizzardi 'Pojega' Ripasso 2006 Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore, ItalyA single-vineyard
wine made primarily from Corvina and Corvinone grape varieties, then aged
in oak. It shows sweet cherry and berry fruit character with a
liqueur-like purity, as well as some subtle earthy, spicy elements in the
background. It's really quite elegant with good concentration, yet at the
same time a lightness and purity to the fruit. There's a bit of textural
richness but it never loses it fresh, cherryish fruity character. 90/100 (£9.99
HBJ Wines, Longford Wines)

Waipara
Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Waipara, New ZealandPart from
ungrafted 20 year old vines; part from a new block of selected clones.
Limestone-rich soils. This is a cracking Sauvignon with some Loire-like
minerality and well as focused grassy, fruity, blackcurrant bud aromatics.
The palate is concentrated with lovely bright grassy, herby fruit and
lovely textural richness, finishing quite minerally with high acidity.
Lively, intense and well balanced. 92/100 (£9.99 Hellion Wines, http://www.hellionwines.co.uk/
- this is the new vintage, just available, with the equally good 2007
vintage still available in a whole range of independent wine merchants,
such as Stone Vine & Sun and Noel Young)

Meyer-Näkel
Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2006 Ahr, GermanyThis is a really
beautiful, complex wine. It’s the follow-on vintage from the one that
won the Pinot Noir trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2008.
Fantastically aromatic nose reminds me a bit of a really good Marlborough
(New Zealand) Pinot Noir: it’s sweet and forward, with bright fresh
cherry fruit coupled with subtle green sappy and herby medicinal notes.
It’s really attractive: one of those wines that you just want to smell
again and again. The palate is complex with spicy dark cherry fruit
coupled with red berry notes. It’s sweet, but savoury at the same time,
with some plummy bitterness in the background, good acidity and some
grippy tannins, but always the sweet fruit is to the fore. This shows just
how good German Pinot Noir can be, but it does come at a price. 93/100 (£41.50
The Wine Barn, /www.thewinebarn.co.uk)

Domaine
La Combe Blanche 'Le Blanc' 2000 Vin de Pays des Cotes de Brian, FranceA
blend of Roussanne and Viognier aged in barrel for 12 months. Yellow/gold
in colour this is very smooth, with a fruity sweet pear nose that also has
complex notes of mandarin, fennel and apricot. The palate shows warm,
sweet fruit with a crystalline fruits richness and some hints of nuts and
peach. Broad, smooth and quite complex, with freshness as well as
richness. Just lovely. 92/100 (£9.75 Leon Stolarski)